Taking the exit, one turn at a time
Start in the northbound lanes and watch for exit 13A. The ramp is signed for Pershing Drive and Ansonia, not for the town our store is in, so look for the street name on the sign. Read the letter as well as the number: Seymour Avenue is exit 13B and Division Street is exit 14, and neither one is our turn.
From the end of the ramp the store is a short stretch away, and a map set to our street address will take you through the last turns to our lot.
Coming south from the Waterbury end, you cannot get off there, because the ramps there are a northbound exit and a southbound entrance, so set your map to our street address before you leave. That southbound entrance does help on the way home, since you can get back on heading south right from our street.
Why the old exit 16 sign is gone
Connecticut DOT began putting up mileage based exit number signs on Route 8 on July 8, 2024. If a saved trip, an old printout or a friend's text still says exit 16, it points to the same ramp.
The towns along the way to the Derby exit
Northbound, Route 8 passes through Bridgeport and Trumbull and then Shelton before it reaches Derby, so drivers from those towns are already headed the right way for exit 13A. Starting in Shelton? The Shelton page covers that trip.
North of the exit, the road continues through Ansonia and Seymour, then Beacon Falls and Naugatuck, on its way to Waterbury. Drivers from that stretch come down southbound, the direction covered above. For the shorter local trips, see the pages for Ansonia and Seymour.
Not driving? The Derby-Shelton station at 1 Main Street is a stop on the Waterbury Branch, and a map set from the station to our street address will show you the way over.
Parking at the store
We have free on-site parking, so there is no meter to feed and no garage to find.
The Valley Independent Sentinel reported in January 2025 that the store has 90 parking spaces.
Once you are inside
Once inside, head toward the back of the showroom, where the Bud Bar needs no appointment. Read what to expect at the Bud Bar before you get in the car, or look over what we carry. On the floor, hosts with iPads can help you browse the menu and order.
Connecticut requires cannabis package labels to say that it is illegal to operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of cannabis, so the drive back onto the highway has to be a sober one.
Questions drivers ask about reaching the store
My directions say exit 16 or exit 17. Which ramp do I take?
Heading north, take the ramp signed for Pershing Drive, which is exit 13A today. An exit 16 direction is from before the renumbering. Some older directions to our store give exit 17, so go by the street name on the sign.
Can I get off Route 8 at our exit heading south?
No. The Pershing Drive ramps are a northbound exit and a southbound entrance, so set your map to our street address before you leave.
Do you take credit cards?
No. We accept cash and debit cards, and credit cards cannot be used. There is an on-site ATM if you need cash when you arrive.